Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, Astoria

At the corner of Crescent Street and 30th Road, the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer was founded in 1866 and contains in its walls some of the most beautiful stained glass in Astoria. There is one burial in the front yard of this church:

Cornelius Rapelye Trafford Born: March 26, 1809 Died: September 14, 1872

A sign inside the front entrance to the church offers this detail: The bells in this tower were a legacy of Cornelius Rapelye Trafford who died on September 4th (sic) 1872 and whose body rests in the churchyard. In accordance with the will of the donor the chimes are rung every year, on his birthday, March 26th.

On March 26th, 2006 (the day I discovered that this was a burial site) the bells in the tower were ringing.

The marker says that Cornelius Trafford died September 14, 1872; while the sign in the church says September 4 of that year.

The marker is a prominent fixture in the front yard of this church. So prominent, in fact, that for as often as I have walked past these grounds I had no idea it was a burial marker. I assumed it was a cross welcoming visitors to the church.